As you proceed through the driveway of Ventimiglia, past the small simple sign, you arrive at the tasting room, a modest rancher, which houses some very finely crafted wines. We were lucky to be the only visitors, as Gene Ventimiglia (founder and winemaker – who usually does not work on Fridays) regaled us with great stories and shared his strong views about his Old World winemaking approach: “I don’t take out anything that should be there or add anything that shouldn’t be there.” He relies on allowing grapes to ripen to maturity naturally and he will not sell any wines before they are ready to be consumed, even when his wines are sold out and customers are asking for more. He also does multiple rackings rather than filtering or fining to clarify his wines – and they have very good clarity. Gene shared that he makes wine for the love of it, not the money. He lives comfortably and enjoys sharing his passion (and the products of that passion) with others.
Gene’s most prized wines are his Merlot and Cabernet Franc. While the Merlot is a little pricey, it is exceptional. In addition to these two gems, he makes a non-vintage Chardonnay, 2013 Vidal, High Point White (a sweet wine made with a blend of New Jersey grapes), Buon Giorno (made from Jersey Cayuga grapes), Riesling (slightly sweet) and 2014 LaSorella (a dry Rose). Reds include Rocky Ridge Red (made with a blend of grapes grown on their property), 2012 Chambourcin, 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Carignane* and 2011 Fratelli Ventimiglia (full-bodied California Zinfandel and Petit Syrah grapes).
The big surprise in this selection was the Buon Giorno. Gene does not tell customers it is made of 100% Cayuga grapes until after they taste it. I have tasted a number of Cayuga wines over the years in New Jersey and New York (generally pretty sweet), but this one was bone dry and very refreshing. If you want to try a different varietal try the Carignane, a tasty medium-bodied red. It is more commonly grown in France and Spain, though the grapes for this wine are sourced from California.
Save a Saturday or Sunday this summer to visit as they are generally only open on weekends, but worth the trip.
*Note: Carignan(e) is spelled both with and without the “e”. Ventimiglia uses the “e” with their wine.
Tasted a NJ wine lately or visited a NJ winery recently? If so share your experience with us here.
Cheers and Happy 4th of July!
